


Resistance Coffee

by everythingremainsconnected



Series: The life-saving qualities of coffee [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: ALL IN THE PAST, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone Has a Past, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Mentioned Leia Organa, folx this is a fastburn aka the opposite of a slowburn, no moderation we obsess like men, poe has an INSTANT crush, serious mentions of drugs and using and addiction, twas a dark and stormy night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22015520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythingremainsconnected/pseuds/everythingremainsconnected
Summary: Poe settles in for a quiet shift at the cafe while a storm rages outside. His best laid plans come all the way undone when a ludicrously handsome stranger barges in with a drenched sweatshirt and a peculiar problem hidden beneath... Poe decides to help, out of the goodness of his heart - and if the gorgeous guy in his cafe happens to be the most beautiful man he's ever seen, well, that's just a happy coincidence.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Series: The life-saving qualities of coffee [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591234
Comments: 13
Kudos: 125





	Resistance Coffee

Thunder cracked overhead and Poe flinched, tipping piping hot espresso over himself. He cursed and wiped his hands on his apron before starting the pour again. The cafe was empty - completely unsurprising for almost nine p.m. during a storm - which meant more coffee for Poe to enjoy on his own before closing. He wished he could also enjoy the music he’d put on, but the overdramatic rain completely drowned it out. 

Poe rinsed out the coffee basket and filled it with fresh grinds. He started the shot and stood back as it poured into a small glass, which turned out to be a good choice because the next ten seconds contained more heart attack moments than Poe was prepared for. 

The cafe door was thrown open hard enough to hit the wall with a bang. 

Thunder boomed at the precise moment that lightning seared through the cafe. 

Someone rushed inside only to be dramatically illuminated for a very cinematic second. 

“Jesus!” Poe shouted. 

The stranger coughed. “Not Jesus,” he said, carefully closing the door on the storm. His sweatshirt and jeans were saturated and he started to shiver, clutching at his belly. Turning back to Poe, he paused. 

Poe had the safety baseball bat raised in a professional and decidedly unfriendly manner. He opened his mouth to speak, caught the look on the young man’s beautiful face, and promptly closed his mouth. 

Poe looked at the bat in his hands. 

He looked back at the stranger. 

“Sorry.” Poe lowered the bat. He cleared his throat. “What can I get you?” 

The stranger didn’t lose his cautiousness at all. “Uh, do you have a restroom?” 

“Yeah, but it’s for paying customers. Sorry, store policy.” 

“Ok. What’s your cheapest drink?” 

Poe racked his brain which, for some reason, seemed to operating a lot slower than normal. “Tea.” 

“Great.” The stranger gave a forced grin. “One tea please. Where’s your restroom?” 

Poe pointed to the door opposite the front door. The stranger pulled two damp singles from his pocket and placed them on the counter with exaggerated care. He rushed to the restroom and closed the door. 

“Tea is two fifty,” Poe said to the empty cafe. He sighed as he started to heat milk. “Please don’t destroy my bathroom, I _just_ cleaned up in there.” 

The young man was in there for an amount of time that had Poe concerned and grateful for efficient ventilation. He thought he heard the hand dryer more than excessive toilet flushes, but the rain continued to bellow against the outside world and numb the ears, making details difficult to discern. 

Eventually the stranger reappeared and sat in a window booth. Poe finished the order and placed a giant mug on the table, with the two rumpled singles. 

“Uh, I didn’t order that. I don’t think.” 

“I know, but you look more like a triple half sweet non-fat caramel macchiato kinda guy.” 

“I can’t afford this.” 

“You couldn’t afford tea, either.” Poe watched the young man shift uncomfortably. “I mean, hey, don’t worry about it. It’s on the house. My boss loves milking the hipsters around here, a coffee or two for someone who needs it is definitely in her budget.” 

“Ok.” The young man gave a hint of a smile. 

Poe’s heart skipped. His brain scrabbled for something cool to say. “So, it’s really comin’ down out there, huh?” He did not find it. 

“Sure is.” 

They both looked out the window at the bucketing rain. The other side of the street was practically invisible. “Listen, we’re open til ten. The wifi password’s on the menu. Make yourself at home.” 

“Thank you.” Something about the stranger softened ever so slightly. 

“No problem. I’m Poe.” 

“Poe?” 

“If this storm doesn’t let up, there _might_ be time to tell you my fascinating backstory.” 

The young man gave a small laugh. “Ok. I’m Finnegan.” He caught Poe’s raised eyebrow and nodded ruefully. “It’s a whole thing.” 

“Finnegan. Funny, you look more like a Finn to me.” Poe bit his lip to keep any further stupidity firmly on the inside. 

“No one’s ever called me that.” 

“Sorry, I was… It was just a joke.” 

“I like it. Finn.” He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Poe.” 

Poe grinned easily and was about to walk away on a relative high (or at least not a definite low) when he hesitated. “Did you hear something?” 

Finn looked around before settling on pointing at the window. Sheets of rain poured down the glass. “Over this racket? Not likely.” 

“Right.” Poe smiled again and went back to the counter. 

Poe was very carefully _not_ staring at Finn by the window. 

He definitely didn’t see Finn cautiously try the sickeningly sweet drink. Poe’s heart did _not_ flutter at the grin that spread across Finn’s handsome face. Poe was _not_ desperately scrambling for an excuse to go talk to Finn some more. The rain eased slightly, going from ‘absolutely deafening’ to ‘loudly inconvenient’, and Poe could hear his music at last. He subtly wiggled away as he checked the collection of syrups and toppings, casually wondering what cavity-inducing concoction Finn might like to try next. 

Finn finished his drink and went to the restroom again, avoiding eye contact with Poe. 

This time, Poe definitely heard the hand dryer working overtime. When Finn emerged, Poe saw he was still shivering. 

“Hey, Finn,” Poe said, interrupting him on his way back to the booth. “You ok?” 

“Yeah, fine. Just trying to fix up this sweater.” 

“I got somethin’, wait here.” 

“Yeah, outside isn’t really an option.” 

Poe rolled his eyes and smiled. “Ok wise guy.” He ducked out the back into the tiny office that held the coat rack and grabbed his jacket. “Here.” 

“Here what?” 

Poe held out his jacket across the counter. “Here,” he waved the jacket, “it’s a dry jacket. Sitting in wet clothes can’t be good for you.” 

Finn hesitated. “But you don’t even know me.” 

“I know when someone needs warm clothes in a storm.” Poe waited him out, not wanting to push too hard and scare him off. 

“Thank you,” Finn said eventually. He slowly took the jacket, clearly expecting it to bite him, but didn’t put it on. 

“I think they work better when you wear - ok, tell me you heard that,” Poe said. He looked around for the source of the noise. 

“Uh, heard what?” Finn asked. He coughed. “I can’t hear anything.” 

“I coulda sworn it sounded like a, an animal or something.” 

“Wha-hat? No, that would be insane. Why would there be a kitten in here?” Finn blustered terribly. 

Poe narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t say anything about a kitten.” 

“Uh, what? Neither did I?” 

Poe held Finn’s increasingly uncomfortable gaze. 

Something meowed. 

“Finn?” 

“Hm?” 

“I need you to be honest with me here, buddy. Do you have a kitten in your sweatshirt?” 

“No?” Finn’s sweatshirt meowed again. “Maybe a small one?” 

“I gotta ask, _why_ is there a kitten in your sweatshirt?” 

Finn slumped. “He was in trouble out there.” 

“And you’re trying to warm him up under the bathroom hand dryer?” 

Finn slumped further. “Yeah. It’s not really going well.” 

“It’s a shit dryer,” Poe agreed. He grabbed a bundle of clean dry dish cloths and put them on the counter. “Hand it over.” 

Finn wrapped his hand protectively around the lump under his sweatshirt, his defenses all the way up. “How do I know I can trust you?” 

“C’mon, man, who hurts a kitten?” Poe tried to joke. He caught the grim look on Finn’s face. “Seriously?” 

“I told you, he was in trouble out there. He’s also kinda bitey.” 

Poe held his hands up in surrender. “If he bites me, so be it. It’s a small price to pay to help out.” 

The sweatshirt meowed again and Finn finally relented. He set the jacket down beside the pile of dish cloths and carefully lifted his sweatshirt to reveal a tiny damp mottled kitten. Finn’s tee was drenched and stuck to his skin but that didn’t stop the kitten trying to hold onto it. It mewed as Finn detangled its tiny claws. 

“Poor little guy,” Poe said softly. “No wonder you couldn’t get him warm, you’re soaked through.” He reached out to take the disgruntled animal and got a hiss for his troubles. He held up a finger and Finn paused mid-kitten-handover, giving Poe time to wrap his hands in dish cloths before they tried again. The kitten progressed from hissing to clawing and Finn grinned. 

“I wanna call him Chewie. Coz he chews things. Mostly people.” 

“Hey Chewie,” Poe crooned. Chewie hissed again. “I think he likes me.” 

Finn laughed as he peeled off his wet sweatshirt. Half his shirt rode up, stuck to the sweatshirt, and Poe stared at the expanse of rich dark skin and hint of sleek muscle. A lucky shot from Chewie’s back foot caught Poe’s exposed wrist and he yelped. 

“Where’d he get you?” Finn asked with a smile. He pulled Poe’s jacket on and settled into it with a happy sigh. “This is so warm. Thank you.” 

Poe’s appreciative stare was interrupted by Chewie’s back foot landing another swipe. “Talk about ungrateful.” 

Finn picked up a cloth and took Chewie back, quickly rubbing at the damp fur and getting many annoyed meows from the kitten. “I know it’s not real dignified, but you’ll feel better in a minute.” 

“How does he not hurt you?” 

“You gotta move quick,” Finn said. “How are your many, many wounds?” 

Poe looked at his wrist to find a couple of welts, but no blood. “I’ll probably survive. He’s not rabid, is he?” 

“Nah. Rabies is super rare in this area, and his behaviour is normal for a scared kitten.” 

“You sure?” Poe glared at Chewie. “He seems _real_ bitey.” 

Finn laughed and easily dodged a scratching claw. “He’s fine. He’ll be better once I can get him some food.” 

“You can’t go out in this, you’ll both get pneumonia.” 

“I know, but he needs to eat. I don’t know how long its been since he’s had anything.” 

Poe saw the tenderness on Finn’s face as he dealt with the demon kitten. “I’ve got an idea.” 

“I don’t really know you, but that seems like a thing that should worry me,” Finn said astutely. 

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve going outside.” Poe picked up his phone and tapped away while Finn dealt with the demon. “It’s safe to say he has teeth, right?” 

“Oh yeah. No, you _don’t_ need to show me,” Finn chided. 

“Ok. Can you tell if the teeth are permanent adult teeth?” 

Finn stared at Poe for a long, quiet moment, his eyes full of judgement. 

“Right.” Poe looked back to his phone. “Any teeth is good, that means he’s been weaned.” 

“Weaned?” 

“It means he can have something other than his mother’s milk, which is good news for us.” 

“It is?” 

“According to Kitty Health Matters dot com, surprisingly not a porn site, goat milk is kind of ok in the very short term, and small amounts of human grade raw meat are acceptable as part of a balanced diet.” 

Finn looked around the cafe. “Do coffee shops have _any_ amount of human grade raw meat? And where the hell would you get goat milk - who would drink that?” 

“Oh we have goat’s milk. This is hipster hell. And as for meat, I got groceries before work today and put them in the fridge.” 

“Seriously?” Finn grinned. “You’ll help?” 

Poe practically basked in Finn’s evident joy. “Yeah buddy, of course. Look at him, he’s too cute to refuse.” Poe carefully stared at the kitten, not the handsome man before him. “I’ll get that milk.” 

“I’ll just be over here,” Finn said, taking a bunch of dish cloths and sitting at another booth. He set Chewie down and kept drying him off. 

Poe joined him with a quart of goat milk and a shallow bowl. He poured some milk out for the kitten and nudged it across the table, careful to stay out of swiping range. Finn left off the drying attempt and set Chewie down. The kitten’s fur stood up at awkward angles and Poe saw what looked like a fur ruff around the kitten’s neck. Chewie tried to clean himself, wiping his paws across his face and head. He was very adorable for a tiny clawed monster. 

“Do you know what kind of cat he might be?” Poe asked. 

“Nope. My phone’s out of battery so even if I wanted to try and find out, I couldn’t.” 

“You want me to charge your phone?” 

“You don’t even know what kind of phone I have.” 

Poe shrugged and attempted nonchalance. “We keep loads of different kinds for customers. What’s your phone?” 

“Uh, hold on.” Finn kept half an eye on the kitten as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a plastic ziplock bag with his phone safely dry inside. 

“You really came prepared.” 

“Kind of.” Finn shrugged. 

“We definitely have a charger for that. I can plug it in at the counter?” 

“Sure. Thanks, man.” 

Poe was briefly frozen by the gentleness he saw in Finn. Who rescued an honest-to-god kitten in a storm? “Yeah. Coffee?” 

“I can’t-” 

“It’s on the house.” Poe grinned. “Trust me, my boss would definitely approve of keeping a kitten rescuer caffeinated.” That got a laugh out of Finn and Poe knew he was going to treasure that for a long time to come. 

Finn took his phone out of the ziplock bag and handed it over. Sadly their fingers did not accidentally touch and Poe quashed his brief and ridiculous disappointment, busying himself with looking through the box of chargers and finding a spare socket. He plugged the phone in and waited for the screen to light up and register the charge. It only took a second, and as soon as the screen turned on, Poe saw it was cracked in more than a few places. He frowned and glanced at Finn, concentrating on details instead of getting lost in the beauty. Finn’s jeans were light and he only had a sweatshirt to keep him dry in miserable weather. His shoes were scuffed to hell and Poe was pretty sure even the hippest of college-midterm-cramming-hipsters wouldn’t need a late night latte in this weather. 

“Phone’s charging,” he announced. “Next up, Chewie food.” 

“I don’t think he’s super into milk.” Finn laughed at the kitten circling the bowl. 

“You and me both, kid. That shit is nasty.” Poe pulled out his bag of groceries and opened the fresh (expensive) ground beef. He got out a plate and pulled off a corner of beef to tear into tiny, kitten, bite-size pieces. “Get him started on this and I’ll fix coffees.” The warmth in Finn’s eyes lit a fire in Poe’s chest. It was a miracle he didn’t combust on the spot. 

“So what’s your favourite?” 

“Huh?” 

“Your favourite coffee. You like coffee, right?” 

Poe bravely recovered. “Yeah. Double espresso first thing in the morning, and double lattes for the rest of the day. Uh, how about you?” 

“I dunno,” Finn said sheepishly, “I don’t really like coffee all that much.” 

Poe gasped theatrically. “What? Then how the hell did you end up in here?” 

“I ran three blocks in this and you were the first place that was open.” 

“Makes sense,” Poe conceded. “Ok, some sweet non-coffee thing coming up.” He went back to the coffee machine and started heating milk. The rain eased enough that he could _finally_ hear his music properly and he smiled as ‘Sunflower’ started up. 

“Is this your playlist?” Finn asked. 

“Sure is. Why, you like this song?” 

“It’s so damn catchy.” 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Poe glanced at Finn and saw him bobbing his head to the beat. He looked away before Finn could catch him staring and focused on making drinks without burning any milk. There were no casualties. “Here ya go buddy.” Poe brought over a latte for himself and a cup piled high with whip for Finn. “This is a vanilla chai latte with extra whip and cinnamon.” 

“Thanks. Doesn’t that stuff keep you awake?” 

“Not really. Is Chewie chewing on that beef, or has he acquired a taste for human flesh?” 

Finn looked at the kitten sniffing at the plate. “He’s going between the milk and the meat, but I think he likes the beef better. He’s had a few bites at least.” 

“That’s a good sign,” Poe tried. “Should get him through the night, right?” 

“Yeah.” Finn sighed and some of the light went out of him. “Just gotta get him through the night then I can take him to a shelter in the morning.” 

Poe wanted to comfort him so badly it hurt. “So there’s no way you could keep him?” 

“I can’t, it… it’s complicated. Even if I could keep him I can’t afford to look after him. Sorry little guy.” Finn managed a sad smile as he scritched Chewie’s ears. “I’m sure some hipster couple are gonna love you.” 

“I wish I could help,” Poe said, without thinking. 

“What are you talking about? You’ve helped so much. I’m gonna pay you back, by the way. For all of it,” Finn said seriously. 

“I know you will.” Poe smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging way. 

Finn looked away and immediately adopted what Poe was coming to think of as his ‘very terrible poker face’. “Quick question, how unhygienic is it if a kitten pees on the table?” 

“Shit.” 

“Not yet but I have concerns.” 

Poe laughed and got out of the booth as he said, “Don’t let him walk in it, I’ll get the cleaning stuff.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Finn said. He cradled Chewie in his lap. “Let me help?” 

“I got it, I got it. Cats pee, it happens. At least it wasn’t liquid shit, right?” 

“Oh, you like to tempt fate, do you?” Finn challenged. 

“It’s only backfired like, half a dozen times so far.” 

“Is that all?” 

Poe quickly cleaned the table and Chewie was allowed back up. He’d had enough of his meat and milk and sniffed at the pile of dry cloths still on the table. Chewie trod awkward little circles on the pile, laid down, and within seconds was curled up and sleeping. 

“How are kittens real?” Finn said quietly. 

“No idea,” Poe said just as quietly. He looked out the window to avoid staring at Finn and realised he could actually see the buildings across the street for the first time in an hour. “Looks like it’s starting to let up out there.” He caught the relief on Finn’s face and started forming a plan. 

“Finally.” 

“I gotta get started on closing up. Don’t worry, I’ll be quiet. Don’t wanna wake the monster.” 

Finn smiled over at Poe. “Thank you. For everything.” 

“No problem,” Poe managed to say in a totally normal tone of voice. He hurried off to start cleaning, figuring if he got done a few minutes ahead of schedule, Leia almost definitely wouldn’t mind an early finish to make sure a good person had somewhere to sleep. 

Poe had never cleaned faster in his life. He was done in record time and quietly approached Finn and the kitten. He put Finn’s phone down on the table, startling him. 

“Oh, is it time to go?” Finn asked. 

“Just one thing. Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?” 

Finn’s terrible poker face made an appearance. “Yeah. Of course.” 

“Let me rephrase that. Do you have somewhere safe, warm, and dry to stay tonight?” 

“Uh, all three? Not… not exactly.” 

“I have an idea. I live on the next block, and I have a whole couch that you’d fit just fine. My building also has a dryer to run your clothes through.” 

Finn balked, folding in on himself. “I can’t. I can’t let you do that.” 

“I’m thinking of little Chewie here,” Poe said, quickly moving to his backup convincing plan. “He’ll be safe and warm at my place.” 

“So take him,” Finn said. He folded his arms across his chest and stared out the window. “I can come by in the morning and get him to a shelter.” 

“And here I was, thinking you two were a package deal.” 

Finn snorted. “It’s fine. Take him.” 

“Nope, not without you.” Poe sat opposite the stubborn man and settled in. 

“Look, I’m not some stray cat for you to take in, ok? I’m fine.” 

“You’re right. You’re not a stray cat. You’re probably human, and definitely a good person, and the least I can do for you, heroic saviour of innocent cats, is to offer you a place to stay for the night.” 

Finn glared out the window and sighed. “Fine. I hope you’re not a homicidal maniac.” 

“I don’t have enough time to live that kind of double life. You ready?” Poe was careful not to smile at Finn’s begrudging nod. “I’m gonna let you carry him.” 

“Good choice.” Finn put his phone back into its ziplock back before carefully scooping up the kitten. Chewie meeped sleepily and Finn smiled down at him. “Oh, my sweatshirt-” 

“I got it,” Poe said. He reached for the sopping fabric lump and got to his feet. “Let’s go. Tuck Chewie inside that jacket, it’s still pathetically raining out here.” 

Finn nodded and pulled the jacket around the snoozy kitten. He followed Poe outside and huddled under the eave while Poe locked up. 

“Ready?” Poe asked. Finn nodded, not at all ready but used to winging it, and followed Poe as he walked out into the mercifully light rain. 

The walk was brief and Poe made sure to stick right by Finn in case he tried to run. Poe bundled Finn inside his building and guided him up the stairs. It was immediately warmer inside Poe’s apartment but he turned the heat all the way up anyway. 

“Welcome home,” Poe said. He’d meant it as a joke but the Freudian slip just slipped right out. “Uh, can I get you something? A drink, or a snack? I’ve got leftovers in the fridge.” 

“I’m fine.” Finn’s stomach growled loud enough it startled Chewie. Finn didn’t flinch. “Water would be great.” 

“Sure, water, if by water you mean ‘last night’s takeout in the microwave’,” Poe said with a smile. “You can leave your shoes by the door. And your socks, I’d bet they’re as wet as your sweatshirt.” 

“Maybe.” 

Poe kicked off his shoes in his own doorway and made the very short journey across the living room into his kitchen. “Make yourself at home, I’m just fixing a plate.” 

“I don’t want to sit on your couch in this, it’ll be wet for days.” 

“Good point. Leave Chewie on the couch and come drip in the kitchen.” 

Finn carefully set Chewie in a corner of the couch and made sure the kitten was going to stay put. Chewie settled in like a champ and Finn gave him a little scritch behind the ears, smiling at the kitten’s easy adaptability. His fur was finally drying out, much to Finn’s relief. He unlaced his shoes and left them neatly beside the door, quickly tucking his dripping socks inside. The carpet was soft underfoot and he paused. It had been a really long time since he’d walked barefoot on nice carpet. 

“You ok, buddy?” 

“Fine.” Finn went to the kitchen to drip on the tiled floor. It was small and neat and homey. He clenched his jaw. 

“You sure?” 

“This is what I wanted to avoid,” Finn said eventually. 

The microwave dinged. “Day-old Chinese food?” Poe asked. 

“No,” Finn smiled slightly, “home. Someone else’s home. It just… it makes life after this harder.” 

Poe stared as realisation dawned. “I’m sorry. I was so worried about you that I didn’t stop and think-” 

“It’s fine,” Finn interrupted. It clearly wasn’t, but he changed the subject with cutting astuteness. “You were worried about me?” 

“Of course I was. That storm was ridiculous and you’re in summer jeans and a glorified long sleeve shirt.” Poe caught himself and cleared his throat. “And poor little Chewie. He was also wet.” He opened the microwave and the cutlery drawer. “Help yourself, I’ll get something dry for you to wear.” 

“I can’t-” 

“Just eat,” Poe said over his shoulder, heading for his bedroom and running away from the possible argument. Poe tore apart the chest of drawers, looking for something that would fit Finn. He was a little taller so pants were probably going to be a problem, but at least Poe had plenty of shirts that would probably stretch out across Finn’s pleasantly muscled shoulders. 

Returning to the kitchen with an armful of options, Poe found Finn with his mouth guiltily full, the plate held close to his face and a loaded fork hovering in midair. The plate was almost empty. 

“Good.” Poe grinned. “Some of these should fit and I got you a spare towel. The bathroom’s through there if you want to take a shower? That way I can run your things through the dryer.” 

“You tryin’ to say I stink?” Finn asked around a mouthful of food. 

“I’m just trying to help you avoid hypothermia.” 

Finn smiled and finished the last of the food on the plate. “Sure. Uh, do you have a dishwasher?” 

“Leave it in the sink.” Poe waited til Finn’s hands were empty before shoving the bundle of clothes at him. “Here ya go. Oh, you got a little something on your face.” 

“Where?” Finn licked the corner of his mouth. “Did I get it?” 

“No,” Poe laughed, “not even close. Hold still.” He reached up to wipe the drop of sauce from Finn’s cheek and lingered there, even as he screamed at himself to stop making things weird. 

“Thank you,” Finn said at last. 

Poe nodded, unable to think of anything sensible and not embarrassing to say. He finally came up with, “No problem,” and promptly wished he’d never said anything at all. 

“Guess I’ll go shower.” 

“Yeah. Great idea.” He cringed and showed Finn to the bathroom door. “I’ll wait here. For your clothes. Your wet clothes. To dry them.” 

Finn smiled and went into the bathroom. A minute later he opened the door, a towel wrapped low around his waist and his arms full of dripping clothes. Poe didn’t trust himself to look anywhere except Finn’s gorgeously warm eyes and somehow even that was a mistake. 

“I’ll be right back. Help yourself to whatever,” Poe said and hoped it sounded smoother to Finn than it did to his own ears. With Finn’s hands free there was an unobstructed view of his naked torso and Poe maintained eye contact, which was almost worse. 

“Hey, Poe? Are you ok?” 

“Uh, yeah. I’ll be right back.” 

“You said that already.” 

“Yep.” Poe turned and fled his own apartment, taking the basement stairs at dangerous speed. He checked the jeans pockets quickly before hurling the clothes into the dryer and hitting the buttons for the shortest, hottest cycle. He stared at the spinning clothes and was uncomfortably aware that his brain should not resemble a tumble dryer. 

Bringing Finn into his home had definitely been a good idea at the time, and he still didn’t quite regret it, but he was having doubts. He’d wanted to help - and spend time with someone as gorgeous and clearly heroic as Finn - but it hadn’t occurred to him that maybe Finn wouldn’t _want_ his help. Poe suspected he knew about the kind of ‘harder’ Finn was alluding to, but had been too caught up in his own head to really think it through. Of course it would be more difficult for Finn to go back to his life after Poe’s grand gesture. 

There was only one option: make a longer-term, grander gesture. 

Poe pulled Finn’s clothes from the dryer as soon as the cycle finished and rushed back to his apartment. He barged inside and looked frantically for Finn. The bathroom door was still closed and Poe paused long enough to stop panting and heard the water running. Chewie had moved himself to the exact middle of the couch and was sleeping soundly. 

The water shut off and Poe finally moved. Closing his front door carefully, Poe knocked on the bathroom door. “Finn? I got your clothes.” 

Finn opened the door, dripping wet in Poe’s general presence for the second time in a couple of hours, with the added bonus of a complete lack of shirt. “Already? Are they dry?” 

“Pretty much. I didn’t want to leave you alone for too long.” 

“In case I had second thoughts and ran?” 

“Kinda.” 

“Ran without my own underwear?” 

Poe laughed. “I don’t judge a man by his underwear - or lack of.” He realised that he was talking to a man definitely not wearing underwear. In fact, Poe was definitely holding said man’s underwear right this moment. He swallowed. 

“You know you’re holding my underwear, right?” There was a delightfully charming gleam in Finn’s eyes as he smiled. 

“That has just occurred to me, yes,” Poe said, struggling to keep a straight face. 

Finn leaned against the bathroom door. He sighed. “I’m not planning on running. It might be nice to sleep somewhere warm.” 

“Listen, about that - I have an idea.” 

“Again, I don’t know you all that well, but I feel like I should be worried.” 

“Hear me out,” Poe tried, “my boss, the one I was talking about earlier? She’s got connections in a whole bunch of places, like accessible housing.” 

“You’re telling me a cafe manager has housing hookups?” Finn crossed his arms over his chest as he fixed Poe with a very disbelieving look. 

Poe found his brain wasn’t exactly cooperating with his mouth. He knew he needed to be at the top of his game if he was ever going to make sense. “I’m gonna let you get dressed,” he said, shoving clothes at Finn. 

“Ok?” Finn was confused but didn’t push it, taking his clothes and slowly closing the door. 

Poe took a deep breath and refocused. “My boss - Leia - it’s complicated. She’s an heiress but-” 

“An heiress owns a cafe?” Finn yanked the door open wearing exactly two more articles of clothing than previously: underwear and sweats that sat _very_ low indeed. “What the hell for?” 

“Resistance Coffee is part of a rehab program - my rehab program,” Poe explained. He met Finn’s eyes squarely as he continued, “Leia started it up after her father’s _struggles_.” 

“Wait, Leia? As in, Leia _Organa?_ ” 

“Yeah, that’s her.” 

“I don’t need her charity, ok? Or yours.” Finn closed the door. 

“It’s not charity. Not exactly.” Poe leaned against the doorframe and took a deep breath. “Leia gives chances. She gave me a chance and saved my life. I know she’ll give you a chance, if you want it.” 

“How do you know?” Came the voice from the bathroom. 

“You saved a kitten in the worst storm of the decade.” Poe smiled. “You could have waited that storm out without getting involved, but you didn’t. You sat in wet clothes and were prepared to spend money you probably don’t have just to give that kitten a chance to survive.” 

Finn slowly opened the door, fully dressed and thoughtful. “That just means I’m stupid.” 

“No, no it doesn’t,” Poe argued, “it means you’re brave, and kind. The world needs more of both of those things. I know Leia will think so, too.” 

“You think I’m brave?” 

“And kind.” Poe treasured the small smile that appeared on Finn’s face. “And wearing my clothes.” 

Finn faltered. “My clothes weren’t quite as toasty as yours, I’m sorry, I thought-” 

“No, it’s fine. It suits you.” Poe could have sworn Finn looked _pleased_ at his unstoppable compliments. “Hang up your things in the living room, they’ll be all the way dry by morning.” 

“It is _really_ warm in here.” 

“I thought you might be cold after everything?” 

“Not that cold.” 

“Point taken.” Poe moved to turn down the heat and saw Chewie in the middle of the couch. “Uh, I think he stole your spot.” 

Finn smiled warmly at the very comfortable kitten. “He’s had a rough time. He can keep it, your carpet is plenty soft.” 

“I did not invite you inside just to have you sleep on the floor.” 

“But it’s the nicest floor I’ve seen in - in a long time.” 

“You don’t even know the last time I vacuumed.” 

“Betcha it’s more recent than a subway supply closet.” 

Poe’s smile faltered and he hated the way Finn looked away from him. He took a deep breath and a big risk. “I lived in my car for four months, give or take. When I’d burned all my bridges - some of them a bit more literally than I might like to admit - I had no one left. And the only place I had left was a shitty two door Volkswagen with leaky windows and a weird smell.” 

“Really?” 

“Really.” Poe tried a rueful smile. “I was desperate for a fix and I started hitting up every number in my cell - dealers, users, a third cousin in Orlando - trying to find someone who’d buy my crappy car and pay for my next hit. One of my old dealers agreed to meet me to see the car and that asshole tricked me - conned me - into rehab, where I met Leia.” 

“Let me guess, she waved her magic money wand and everything was perfect.” 

Poe snorted. “I wish. Money doesn’t buy sobriety. Getting clean is messy, and hard, and it sucks. It wasn’t my first go at it, and it might not be my last.” Poe sighed as the hard-won acceptance rose up. “I’m an addict. I’ll always be an addict, even though I’ve been sober for three years, eight months, and seventeen days. I worked hard to get sober and I work hard to stay that way. Leia made sure I had a roof over my head and food to eat. Just like she did for Zorii - my old dealer.” 

There was a long moment of silence before Finn spoke softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… to belittle your problems like that.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Poe replied, keeping his voice light. “This isn’t the crap situation Olympics, and I know I don’t look much like an addict. I just wanted you to know that I’m not some dumbass hipster trying to go all ‘gentrified saviour’ on you or anything.” 

“Y’know, I can’t quite figure out _what_ you look like,” Finn said with a smile. 

“I look like a guy who is not about to let you sleep on the floor. Do you snore?” 

“Huh?” 

“When you sleep, does your airway narrow to the point that it makes an annoying noise for anyone in your general vicinity?” 

“I don’t know,” Finn answered simply. “No one’s ever told me if I do or not.” 

“Well, if it turns out you do snore, I’ll just hit you with a pillow.” 

“Huh?” 

Poe laughed at Finn’s genuine missing of the point. “I got a bed big enough to share. C’mon.” He opened the bedroom door and dramatically gestured to the queen sized bed in the corner. “Get comfy, I need a quick shower. You can pick whichever side you want.” Poe grabbed clean cotton shorts and a shirt from his now very messy dresser and fled. 

Taking great care to _not_ slam the bathroom door, Poe attempted to master his breathing. Having a gorgeous almost-stranger in his bed wasn’t exactly a total novelty but Poe tried to avoid lying to himself. He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. Finn was _different_. From the second he’d barged into the cafe, Poe had been transfixed by superficial beauty, but it was the whole kitten thing that had Poe’s traitorous lust deepening into actual feelings. Watching Finn’s guard drop as he looked after that kitten was beyond endearing, and Poe dared to hope his own kindness had helped some. 

Poe brought pushed his growing fondness down. Looking around his bathroom, he was pleasantly surprised. Finn had somehow left no water droplets or splashes on the floor, which was no mean feat with the shower over the tub and a short curtain that had a fifty-fifty chance of actually keeping water inside the tub at all. The bath mat was hung up where Poe knew he’d left it that morning, and the towel he’d given Finn was neatly folded and sitting on the edge of the tiny vanity. The arrangement of soap, shampoo and conditioner bottles on the shower’s inconveniently placed corner shelf were neater than Poe remembered. Finn must have knocked them off, something Poe had done a thousand times or more, and Poe smiled to think of Finn carefully returning them to their rightful places. 

“I am admiring my own damn bathroom just because he was in it. Lord help me.” Poe looked at himself in the tiny mirror and frowned. “He - he _cleaned_ the mirror. Just when I got used to that chunk of toothpaste right between my eyes.” 

With a tired sigh, Poe turned on the shower taps and set them to mostly cold. He scrubbed away at his hands with a nail brush, trying to get the coffee stains out of his cracked skin. His nails were kept almost painfully short in an effort to keep them clean, but coffee grinds were the herpes of the hospitality world; you could never get rid of them. The thought of climbing into bed smelling of old coffee and stale milk was too embarrassing to contemplate for more than half a second. Poe swiftly washed and conditioned his hair, and reached for his toothbrush before he’d even turned off the shower taps. 

Used to rushing through a routine, Poe managed to clean his teeth while drying off and dressing himself. He wrinkled his nose as he pulled on the shirt; he hated sleeping with a shirt on but didn’t want to make his house guest uncomfortable. The shirt would also help cover any morning embarrassments likely to befall him which, given Finn’s stunning good looks and Poe’s good taste, seemed an almost certainty. 

Poe finally left the bathroom, leaving the light on just in case, and checked on Chewie. The kitten was sound asleep. Poe smiled at the little demon, checked that his scratches hadn’t somehow become life-threatening in the last couple hours, and went to his bedroom to find Finn sitting on the bed’s edge. The borrowed sweats finished a good few inches above Finn’s ankles, and the shirt was snug across his broad frame. He didn’t look up when Poe hesitated in the doorway. 

“Hey, buddy, is everything alright?” Poe asked quietly. 

Finn nodded without looking up. “Is it ok if I take this side? I don’t like feeling all boxed in.” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Thanks.” 

“I left the bathroom light on, and I thought if I leave the door open a crack then we’ll hear if Chewie wakes up.” 

“Good idea.” 

Poe nodded, more to himself than Finn, considering Finn hadn’t lifted his gaze from the floor just yet. “Listen, I can sleep on the couch if you’re not comfortable-” 

“I’m queer,” Finn cut him off. “Mostly bi, and gender is weird, but I’m not straight. If you want me to take the couch-” 

“Same,” Poe interrupted. His heart skipped as realisation dawned. “Definitely bi, and gender is definitely weird. Definitely not straight.” 

Finn finally looked up. He searched Poe’s face and smiled as the wariness fell from him. “Ok.” 

“Gotta love coming out a hundred times a day, right?” Poe tried to joke. 

“Oh yeah, it’s the best. Can we sleep now? You talk _so_ much.” 

Poe narrowed his eyes and grinned. “Sure thing, smartass.” That got a laugh out of Finn and Poe couldn’t help staring, recovering slightly too slowly; Finn saw the dopey look on his face and looked away quickly. Poe cleared his throat and wanted very much to take the last twenty seconds of his life back. “Pull the covers down, I’ll get the light.” 

Shifting on the bed, Finn did as Poe asked and pushed the plush covers down. He eased himself under them, moving slowly and carefully, as if he were afraid he’d break them somehow. Poe shut off the lights and left the door open a crack, satisfied at the narrow glow that hit the wall by the bed. He climbed up the length of the bed, doing his best to keep from jostling Finn but knowing full well his mattress was betraying his every breath. 

Finally Poe settled himself between Finn and the wall, tucking his feet under the covers. He lay flat on his back and stared at the ceiling. “Is this ok?” 

“Yeah,” Finn replied. “Thank you, again. I’ll pay you back.” His voice was so low it raised goosebumps on Poe’s skin. 

“We can argue about it in the morning.” 

Finn chuckled sleepily. “You’re on.” 

“Goodnight, Finn.” 

“G’night, Poe.” 

Poe listened to Finn’s breathing steady out into the deep, slow breaths of slumber. Only then did he dare to turn his head and allow himself to look at Finn’s profile. How a quiet Thursday night had gotten so damn complicated was well beyond Poe’s midnight cognitive abilities. He sighed and tried to put his racing thoughts to bed for worrying about another day. 

*

 _How much of that was real?_ Poe resisted the old man groan that rose in his throat as he woke up. He was on his side and curled up, his back aching, which always happened when he slept without the covers up. For some reason his arm was folded under his head instead of the pillow. Slowly opening his eyes, Poe understood why his body had contorted into such ridiculousness while he slept. 

Finn was on his side, facing Poe, with one hand tucked under his chin and the other… the other was near enough to Poe’s pillow arm that his knuckles came to rest against Poe’s bare skin. Poe gulped and looked down. He’d managed to remove his shirt during the night but at least he hadn’t woken Finn, who looked like he could sleep all day. 

Barely daring to breathe, Poe crept out of bed. Finn didn’t stir. 

A small, determined _meow_ brought him right back to earth. Poe left Finn sleeping and went to find the miniature demon responsible for the noise. Chewie was sitting by the trash can in the kitchen, meowing authoritatively. 

“Shit, you must be thirsty,” Poe lamented. He scrabbled for a shallow bowl and filled it with water. As soon as he put it down, Chewie dunked his little face in it. A few sips later and he stopped to shit on the floor. “Thank you so much for at least avoiding the carpet.” Poe cleaned up, gave Chewie a little more ground beef to eat, and had an idea. He set a quiet playlist up and got to work. 

Ten minutes later and food was sizzling, coffee was brewing, and one of Poe’s favourite songs had started up. He hummed and swayed as he cooked, quickly breaking into quiet song. 

“Every day, every day, I try and I try and I tryyyyy, but _everybody_ wants to put me down, they say I’m going _crazy_ ,” Poe sang along, “they say I got a lot of water in my brain, got no common sense, I got nobody left to _believe_ in, yeah, yeah-” 

Finn cleared his throat from the edge of the kitchen and Poe flinched. “Morning.” 

“Morning,” Poe said, smiling. He looked down at his shirtless self and winced. “Sorry, I’m usually more dressed for breakfast.” 

Finn just smiled at him for a minute before he spoke. “Remember how last night I said I couldn’t figure out what you looked like? I think I just solved it.” 

“Yeah?” Poe managed to maintain eye contact while his heart raced. 

“Yeah.” Finn took a few steps closer. 

“And what’s that?” 

“I think… I think you look beautiful.” 

Poe stared. His mouth was all the way open. “Seriously?” Finn was immediately crestfallen and Poe dropped the spatula to reach for him. “That was a good ‘seriously’!” 

“I’d hate to hear what a bad one sounds like.” 

“Finn, buddy, look at me.” Poe put a couple of fingers under Finn’s chin to bring his gaze up from the floor. “That was a ‘seriously, how does this guy have so much game first thing in the morning’, kind of ‘seriously’, ok?” 

“How do I know I can trust you?” 

“My beauty isn’t enough for you?” Poe quipped. 

“Oh, now who’s got game?” 

“Give me a few more minutes and we’ll both have breakfast.” 

“There you go again, way too smooth for this early in the morning. Did you pick this song?” 

Poe opened his mouth to reply right as Freddie Mercury sang _Somebody to love_. His ears went pink. “Not exactly.” 

Finn laughed. “And what does that mean?” 

“It means that food tastes better when it’s cooked with a good soundtrack.” 

“So, not subliminal messaging?” 

“No. Unless it’s working?” Poe grinned slyly, getting another laugh out of Finn. “Ok, maybe I got _some_ game.” Poe bit his lip, looking from Finn’s warm eyes to his gorgeous mouth and back again. He leaned in slowly, a question in his eyes. 

Finn nodded and quickly closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Poe’s. 

Poe took in a sharp breath and pulled Finn closer, wrapping one hand behind Finn’s neck, the other around his waist. The warmth of Finn’s body was maddening, working in exquisite tandem with the strength of his hands around Poe’s waist. Poe let himself be held in Finn’s arms, afraid to move too fast and break the spell, no matter how badly his entire body ached to _move_ against the other. Poe took everything Finn was offering and stopped himself from demanding more; he wanted it all, all at once, but what he wanted most was to not screw it up. 

Finn slowly pulled away, searching Poe’s face. “Are you… is this…” 

“I like you,” Poe blurted out. 

“Good, coz I like you too,” Finn said slowly, “but I’m confused. That didn’t feel much like a kiss that happens when you like someone.” 

“I’m bad at moderation. I’m better than I was but I don’t want to scare you.” 

“Does it look like I want you in moderation?” Finn whispered. “Because I don’t.” He slid his hands up Poe’s back, pressing his fingertips into Poe’s bare flesh. 

“Promise me you’ll tell me when it’s too much. When _I’m_ too much.” 

“Promise,” Finn said, smiling as he leaned in for another attempt. 

Poe closed the distance and kissed Finn with the heat he’d been trying to ignore since he woke up. He was greedy and handsy and had all of half a second to panic that he’d overstepped before Finn’s arms wrapped around him tightly, pressing them together, making the other’s pleasure entirely and _delightfully_ unavoidable. Finn reached down to squeeze Poe’s ass and he let out a breathy gasp, immediately yielding to his touch. Not trusting himself to remain upright for long, Poe blindly pulled Finn with him til his back hit the bench. He desperately scrabbled at Finn’s stupidly, beautifully tight shirt, and could just _tell_ it was highly amusing to him. With a frustrated groan Poe pulled away, short of breath and grinning. 

“How horny is too horny for breakfast?” Poe asked, his eyes bright. 

“Let’s find out.” Finn laughed as Poe’s eyes rolled back in his head and he bit his lip. 

“That’s it, you win game-before-breakfast - on one condition.” 

“How concerned should I be right now?” 

“Depends. How much do you like wearing a shirt that’s too small for you?” 

“Not that much.” Finn yanked the shirt off over his head without moving away. He let it drop to the floor and watched Poe as his brain came to a grinding halt. “You ok?” 

“You win.” Poe didn’t wait for a retort before wrapping his arms around Finn’s neck and kissing him hungrily. Finn kissed him right back, his breath coming faster, holding Poe tightly as if he were afraid he’d disappear. 

* 

Later, after things moved _very_ fast from the kitchen counter to the kitchen floor, and then finally to the bedroom, Poe lay in his bed with Finn in his arms, his fingers tracing lazy circles along his gorgeous smooth skin. 

“Do you want to stay?” Poe asked softly. 

Finn snorted, his breath warm on Poe’s chest. “You planning on kicking me out already?” 

“Not at all.” Poe squeezed Finn in a brief hug. “I want you to stay, but…” 

“But what?” Finn raised himself up on one elbow to fix Poe with a suspicious glare. 

“I don’t want you to pretend to be someone you’re not just because you’re afraid.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“I don’t want you to think you have to pretend to be _with_ me just to stay. I want you to stay no matter what happens with us.” 

Finn pulled away, hurt creasing his soft features. “You think I’d sleep with someone just to have somewhere to - to sleep?” 

“No! God, no, that’s not what I meant, I just… I don’t want you to feel like my caring about you relies on that. It doesn’t.” Poe sat up, reaching for Finn. “You deserve to feel safe and cared for no matter how I feel about you. I wanted you to know that. I did a bad job of trying to let you know that.” 

“You really did.” 

“I’m sorry. This is a no-strings caring situation, if that’s what you need it to be.” 

Finn retreated further and didn’t bother to hide his devastation. “You don’t want any strings?” 

“I want all the strings,” Poe said immediately. “All of ‘em. Every single one you could possibly think of. But you get to choose this, if this is what you want. If it’s not,” Poe paused and swallowed hard, pushing the bleak thoughts away and looking down, “if it’s not, I’ll take you to Leia this morning and make sure she gets you what you need.” 

“So… you want the strings?” 

“God yes.” 

“So do I. So what’s the problem? Where’d all that game go?” Finn joked, a smile spreading across his face. 

“I’m trying not to start out our acquaintance as an asshole.” 

“Acquaintance? Wow.” Finn’s very bad poker face appeared, drawing a smile from Poe. “I am _interested_ to see how you treat a lover if the last - what was it, hour and a half? - is the ‘acquaintance’ standard.” 

Poe played along with a smirk. “Can I interest you in the ‘exclusive lover’ deal? Today’s bargain price is: my dignity and the last of the bacon.” 

“I feel like I’ve heard a very specific word to describe an ‘exclusive lover’,” Finn mused, inching closer to Poe. 

“Oh yeah, I think I know the one. Starts with a B, right?” 

“Yeah, that’s the one. I don’t wanna seem clingy or anything, but if you want all the strings, well, you gotta put your money where your mouth is. And the kitten is clearly part of this deal.” 

Poe nodded eagerly, leaning closer. “Only for you will I have that tiny furry demon in my home. I want that string. Finn, last name unknown, will you be my…” 

“Your?” 

“Buddy?” 

Finn laughed and pushed Poe back into the bed, neatly pinning him down. “There it is,” he said, grinning hugely. “Mister Game is back.” 

“It’s Mister Dameron to you,” Poe corrected as he pretended to struggle against Finn’s playful hold. 

“I don’t call random lovers ‘mister’. That’s a special kind of arrangement.” 

Poe’s stomach flipped and blood rushed southward at alarming speed. “A boyfriend kind of arrangement?” Finn nodded, biting his lower lip, angling his hips _just so_ and making Poe’s breath hitch. Poe nodded eagerly, his own hips trying to chase the promised hint of friction. “Will you be my boyfriend?” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“You have the most _terrible_ poker face, you know that, right?” 

Finn laughed and leaned in close. “Insulting someone is a pretty bad way to get them to be your boyfriend. You know that right?” 

“Fine, I’ll beg,” Poe offered. 

“Yes,” Finn said, his voice low, his eyes unashamedly cruising Poe’s naked body. “You will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Finn and Poe definitely adopt the cat and feed it a proper real diet of proper cat food! Thanks for reading, I love these nerds and they deserved better <3
> 
> PSA: for what it's worth, the internet says that weaned kittens can have small amounts of goat milk and human grade meat as part of an overall balanced diet. Please do not substitute appropriate vet approved cat food for only goat milk and raw meat! As obligate carnivores, cats need the nutritional balance and variety of proper cat food. Finn and Poe will get onto correct cat care asap I promise


End file.
